Wig base

ABSTRACT

A wig base comprises a sheet of material having a dome shape with a peak a border defining a bottom opening and an anterior portion comprising net material. A reinforcement, for a gap that can be formed in a selected area of the net material adjacent the bottom opening, is provided by one of a plurality of strips of fabric each of which has a pair of opposite ends spaced from each other and located adjacent the border of the sheet, and a U-shaped intermediate portion connecting one of the ends to the other and extending from the border toward the peak. A wearer&#39;s natural hair can be passed through a gap and blended with hair woven to the net material of wig base. The reinforcement maintains the integrity of the wig base.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to wig bases, and particularly to an improved wig base having an opening through which the wearer of a wig can pass a portion of her natural hair for blending with the hair attached to the wig base.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Many wigs are composed of a wig base of flexible material shaped to fit an individual's head, and composed at least in part of net material. Natural hair is attached to the wig base by a process known as weaving, in which wefts of hair are sewn to the net material. A problem with conventional wigs is that they are easily detected because they present an artificial-appearing hairline.

This problem is addressed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,537,014 granted May 26, 2009, which describes a wig base of net material having an omega-shaped metal element to which a detachable wig portion can be attached. The omega-shaped metal element defines an opening through which the wearer's natural hair, at the location of the natural part of the hair, can be pulled if the detachable wig portion is not used.

In the wig base of U.S. Pat. No. 7,537,014, the omega-shaped element can be provided either at the center of the wig base for a wearer having a center part, or to a side of the center for a wearer having a side part. However, different wig bases are needed to accommodate wearers having different part locations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention provides a wig base that enables a wig maker to form an opening through which a wearer's natural hair can be passed and blended with the hair on the wig to achieve a more natural-appearing hairline. This opening can be formed at any selected one of a plurality of locations along the border of the wig base simply by cutting away net material. Even though net material is cut away, the opening is reinforced by a fabric strip so that the integrity of the wig base is maintained.

The wig base in accordance with the invention comprises a sheet of material having a dome shape adapted to fit a human head. Because of its dome shape, the sheet has a peak and a bottom opening. The bottom opening is defined by a loop-shaped border of the sheet. To allow for weaving of hair to the wig base, it is preferable that nearly all of the area of the sheet of material be composed of net material. In the wig base of the invention, the sheet at material should at least include an area composed of net material that forms an anterior portion of the sheet and that is positioned to fit over an anterior portion of a human head above the forehead.

Reinforcements, for openings that can be formed in areas of the net material near the border, are provided by a plurality of strips of fabric attached by sewing, adhesive, or other suitable means, to the surface of the net material, and conforming to the shape of the surface of the net material. Each of these strips has a pair of opposite ends spaced from each other and located adjacent the border of the sheet, and a U-shaped intermediate portion connecting one of the ends to the other and extending from the border toward the peak of the sheet of net material. Any one of the plurality of strips of fabric can become a part of a reinforcement of a gap adjacent the bottom opening of the wig base formed by removal of net material from within its U-shaped intermediate portion.

The loop-shaped border has a front part shaped to fit the anterior part of a human head, and the wig base preferably comprises three U-shaped strips of fabric, one being located between the other two strips at a location in the middle of the front part of the loop-shaped border. The three strips are preferably disposed in uniformly spaced relation to one another, and each of the three strips has its ends adjacent the front part of the loop-shaped border. Net material can then be removed from within the strip that corresponds to the location of the natural part in the wearer's hair so that the natural part is exposed when the wearer's hair is passed through the gap formed by removal of net material.

A strip of reinforcing fabric extending along, and attached to, the loop-shaped border of the sheet of net material can include parts that span the spaces between the opposite ends of each of the U-shaped strips. Thus, the parts of the border other than the part at which net material is removed to form a gap can remain reinforced by a section of strip material extending along the loop-shaped border.

Another aspect of the invention is a process for making and applying a wig using the wig base. The process comprises removal of net material from within the U-shaped intermediate portion of a selected one of the plurality of strips of fabric to form a gap. The selected strip forms a reinforcement for the gap. Wig hair is attached to the net material to form a wig. The wig can then be placed on a wearer's head, and a portion of a wearer's natural hair is passed through the gap, and blended with the wig hair woven to the net material.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a wig base in accordance with the invention, as seen from a location to the front and to the left of the wig base, and illustrating the process of cutting a section of net material out of one of three bordered areas;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the wig base of FIG. 1, showing the wig base with net material cut away;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the wig base, showing the rear part thereof and a strap for adjusting the size of the wig base to ensure a close fit on the wearer's head; and

FIG. 4 is front elevational view of an individual wearing a wig made by attachment of hair to the wig base of FIG. 2.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

As shown in FIG. 1, the wig base 10 is composed of a sheet of flexible material, at least an anterior portion 12 of which can be a Nylon mesh having apertures of a size suitable for attachment of hair wefts by sewing. The wig base is formed in a dome shape adapted to fit a human head. The dome has a peak 14, and a bottom opening 16 defined by a loop-shaped border 18 of the sheet. The border, although loop-shaped, is not necessarily planar. The border will typically have some parts that are hearer the peak than other parts.

The sheet of net material can be a continuous mesh. Alternatively, it can be made up of plural sections of mesh sewn to one another. Optionally, a strip 20 of reinforcing fabric extends along, and is attached to, the loop-shaped border 18. The size of the bottom opening of the wig base can be adjusted by means a strip 22 of stretchable fabric attached at one end to a side of the sheet adjacent the loop-shaped border and having at its opposite end a metal or plastic hook 24 removably engageable with a selected one of a series of loops or openings (not shown in FIG. 1) formed along the loop-shaped border.

Three strips of fabric 26, 28 and 30, are attached to the surface of the sheet of net material, preferably to the outer surface, by sewing, by the application of adhesive, or by another suitable method such as fusing. These strips conform to the surface of the sheet of net material. As shown in FIG. 1, strip 26 has a pair of opposite ends 28 and 30, spaced from each other and located adjacent the border 18, and a U-shaped intermediate portion 32, connecting one of the ends to the other. Strips 28 and 30 are configured similarly. Each of strips 26, 28 and 30 extends from the border 18 toward the peak 14.

The strips 26, 28 and 30 are positioned on the front part of the sheet of net material, i.e., the part that fits the anterior part of the wearer's head, and are preferably spaced uniformly, with the central strip 28 located in the middle of the front part of the loop-shaped border, and with strips 26 and 30 located respectively where a right-side and left-side natural part in the wearer's hair would meet the forehead. Preferably, parts of reinforcing strip 18 span the spaces between the opposite ends of each of strips 26, 28 and 30.

Scissors 32 are shown cutting through reinforcing strip 20 at a location between ends 28 and 30 of U-shaped strip 26 adjacent its end 28. The scissors are used to remove some or all of the net material within the U-shaped strip 26 to form a gap 34 as shown in FIG. 2.

Although the part of reinforcing strip 20 that spans the distance between ends 28 and 30 of the U-shaped strip 26 is shown cut away, in some instances it may be desired to cut away only the net material, leaving strip 20 intact. However, when the user's objective is to expose the natural part in the user's own hair, the spanning portion of the reinforcing strip 20 will ordinarily be removed. The U-shape strip then serves as a reinforcement of the gap formed by removal of the net material and the spanning part of reinforcing strip 20, maintaining the shape of the wig base.

Net material can be removed in a similar manner from within either of the other two U-shaped strips, and the portion of reinforcing strip 20 that spans the distance between the ends of the U-shaped strip can also be removed.

As illustrated in FIG. 3, the size of the bottom opening of the wig base 10 can be adjusted by engaging hook 24 on adjusting strap 22 with a selected one of a series of loops 42 in a fabric strip 44 that forms a part of the loop-shaped border at the rear of the wig base. A similar adjusting strap can be provided on the opposite side of the wig base.

As shown in FIG. 4, the wearer's natural hair 46 in the vicinity of the gap 34 (FIG. 2) can be pulled through the gap and blended with hair 48 woven to the wig base. In FIG. 4, the wearer's natural part 50 is a right-side part, and is exposed through the gap in the wig base, affording the wearer a more natural-appearing hairline.

Various modifications can be made to the wig base described herein. For example, the positions of the inverted U-shaped reinforcing strips can be different from the positions in which they are depicted in FIGS. 1 and 2. The number of the inverted U-shaped reinforcing strips can also be varied. For example, although it is preferable that the wig base be provided with three inverted U-shaped reinforcing strips, in alternative embodiments, the wig base can be provided with only two, or with four or more inverted U-shaped reinforcing strips. The sizes and shape of the U-shaped reinforcing strips can also be different from the sizes and shapes depicted in FIGS. 1 and 2, and the sizes and shapes of the inverted U-shaped reinforcing strips on a given wig base can be different from one another. 

1. A wig base comprising a sheet of material having a dome shape adapted to fit a human head, said sheet of material having a peak, and a bottom opening defined by a loop-shaped border of the sheet, and including an area composed of net material forming an anterior portion of the sheet, said area of net material being positioned to fit over an anterior portion of a human head above the forehead, a plurality of strips of fabric attached to, and conforming to a surface of, said net material, each of said strips having a pair of opposite ends spaced from each other and located adjacent said border of the sheet, and a U-shaped intermediate portion connecting one of said ends to the other and extending from said border toward said peak of the sheet, whereby any one of said plurality of strips of fabric can form a reinforcement of a gap adjacent the bottom opening of the wig base when net material is removed from within the U-shaped intermediate portion of said one of said plurality of strips.
 2. A wig base according to claim 1, wherein said loop-shaped border has a front part shaped to fit the anterior part of a human head, said plurality of strips being disposed in spaced relation to one another and each of said three strips having its ends adjacent said front part of the loop-shaped border.
 3. A wig base according to claim 1, wherein said loop-shaped border has a front part shaped to fit the anterior part of a human head, said plurality of strips being disposed in uniformly spaced relation to one another and each of said three strips having its ends adjacent said front part of the loop-shaped border.
 4. A wig base according to claim 1, wherein said loop-shaped border has a front part shaped to fit the anterior part of a human head, and comprising three said strips of fabric, said three strips being disposed in spaced relation to one another and each of said three strips having its ends adjacent said front part of the loop-shaped border.
 5. A wig base according to claim 1, wherein said loop-shaped border has a front part shaped to fit the anterior part of a human head, and comprising three said strips of fabric, said three strips being disposed in uniformly spaced relation to one another and each of said three strips having its ends adjacent said front part of the loop-shaped border.
 6. A wig base according to claim 1, wherein said loop-shaped border has a front part shaped to fit the anterior part of a human head, and comprising three said strips of fabric, one of said three strips of fabric being located between the other two strips at a location in the middle of said front part of the loop-shaped border, said three strips being disposed in uniformly spaced relation to one another, and each of said three strips having its ends adjacent said front part of the loop-shaped border.
 7. A wig base according to claim 1, including a strip of reinforcing fabric extending along, and attached to, said loop-shaped border, said strip of reinforcing fabric including parts of said strip that span the spaces between the opposite ends of each of said strips of said plurality of strips of fabric.
 8. A process for making a wig using a wig base comprising a sheet of material having a dome shape adapted to fit a human head, said sheet of material having a peak, and a bottom opening defined by a loop-shaped border of the sheet and including an area composed of net material forming an anterior portion of the sheet, said area being positioned to fit over an anterior portion of a human head above the forehead, a plurality of strips of fabric attached to, and conforming to the surface of, said net material, each of said strips having a pair of ends spaced from each other and located adjacent said border of the sheet, and a U-shaped intermediate portion connecting one of said ends to the other and extending from said border toward said peak of the sheet, the process comprising removal of net material from within the U-shaped intermediate portion of a selected one of said plurality of strips of fabric, whereby said selected one of said strips of fabric forms a reinforcement of a gap adjacent a part of the border of the bottom opening of the wig base, through which a wearer's natural hair can be passed and blended with wig hair woven to the net material.
 9. A process for making and applying a wig using a wig base comprising a sheet of material having a dome shape adapted to fit a human head, said sheet of material having a peak, and a bottom opening defined by a loop-shaped border of the sheet, and including an area composed of net material forming an anterior portion of the sheet, said area of net material being positioned to fit over an anterior portion of a human head above the forehead, a plurality of strips of fabric attached to, and conforming to the surface of, said net material, each of said strips having a pair of ends spaced from each other and located adjacent said border of the sheet, and a U-shaped intermediate portion connecting one of said ends to the other and extending from said border toward said peak of the sheet, the process comprising removal of net material from within the U-shaped intermediate portion of a selected one of said plurality of strips of fabric, whereby said selected one of said strips of fabric forms a reinforcement of a gap adjacent a part of the border of the bottom opening of the wig base, attaching wig hair to said net material to form a wig, placing said wig on a wearer's head, passing a portion of a wearer's natural hair through said gap, and blending said portion of the wearer's natural hair with wig hair woven to the net material. 